Mira Costa?s offensive line includes, from left, Nick Kosmata, Andrew Brenner, Chad Jenson, Brett Darragh and Jordan Tavai. Their play is one reason the Mustangs are averaging 46 points per game in the playoffs heading into tonight?s CIF Southern Section Western Division final against Alemany.

There’s Kyle Nunn standing in the end zone again, finishing off a long pass from quarterback Kyle Demarco, who had just the right amount of time to throw.

There’s Morgan Reece or Rico Wright darting up the middle for 20 more yards, hardly touched until they are brought down.

There’s J.R. Tavai pulling in a play-action pass after the fullback drifts out of the backfield.

That’s 57 touchdowns for the Mira Costa offense in 2009, but not one of them was scored by the five players most responsible for them.

Shouldn’t it be time for them to get some credit around here?

“I think it’s just all around that offensive lines are overlooked,” tackle Andrew Brenner said. “A lot of the quarterbacks will give us thanks after the games, but a lot of times the crowd doesn’t even know.”

“I don’t think they ever will,” guard Brent Darragh said, with fellow guard Nick Kosmata shaking his head in agreement. “You can’t always tell unless you play O-line. You don’t really know if it’s good or bad. It may look good, but it may be completely bad if he goes the wrong way.”

The Mira Costa offensive line has been a one-way street to Juggernaut Avenue this season, and has been especially impressive in three playoff victories. It will get its last chance to dominate tonight, when the top-seeded Mustangs (11-2) take on No. 3 Alemany (10-3) for the CIF Southern Section Western Division title at College of the Canyons.

The Mustangs went undefeated in the Bay League and averaged 33.1 points per game in the regular season. In the playoffs, they are averaging 46 points per game.

It took about half the season for the unit to really begin to become a cohesive group, though that was way too late for their high expectations.

“I thought this would happen in the beginning of the season, from Week 1,” tackle Jordan Tavai said. “But it started happening and I was proud that we started that.”

None of the five holds any of the other in higher or lower standing.

That’s the foundation.

“I see us all as leaders,” center Chad Jenson said. “None of us slacks off; we don’t have to tell each other, `Hey do this.’ We’re all like self leaders. We as a line are leaders of the team.”

Just when it started happening seems to be a matter of debate.

“As far as for me, it happened in the (2008 CIF) final,” Darragh said. “I realized that we were going to be good, because in that final game me and Chad did our job very well.”

Jenson had another time in mind.

“You could see around Peninsula (in the eighth game) we just came alive,” he said. “That’s when we started really getting after it, and you could see our physicality just hit top notch and we’ve been holding it out for the rest of the season.”

And to think this group, to a man, touts communication as its best asset.

Actually, it is. As they break the huddle and approach the line, Jenson makes the first calls, making sure Kosmata and Darragh are in agreement. From there, the guards pass the word on to the tackles.

It’s a necessary function on every play, of course, but it might not even be required with this group.

“We make our calls before every play, but we already know before we make the calls,” Darragh said. “We just make sure.”

The greatest testament to the line may come from Reece, who suffered an ankle injury in the third week of the season. Despite limping into place each game, Reece has gained 933 yards this season, averaging 6.4 yards per carry, and has scored nine touchdowns.

“It’s definitely the best offensive line I’ve ever played for or ever seen at the high school level,” Reece said. “They make it real easy for us. All I have to do is run where they tell me to run, and I’ve got a few yards already.

Which is how it’s supposed to be under the guidance of line coach Chuck Arrasmith, who has basically pounded their attitude into them so they can take it out on their opponents.

“Coach Arrasmith, every time before the game, he gives us this huge speech and he tells us that we have to take control of the game,” Jenson said. “Even though Morgan is a great runner, he can’t get anywhere without us moving the guys out of the way.

“What we try to do is come out with a high intensity, good physicality and we try too enforce it on the other team.”

They don’t have to see the usual 40-plus points on the scoreboard to know how effective they’ve been. All they need to do is look across the line of scrimmage.

“During the last half of the game,” Kosmata said, “we’re usually still going and the other team tires out before we do.”

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Bay League champion Mira Costa beat Quartz Hill, 42-6, in the first round; Chaminade, 42-19, in the quarterfinals; and Palmdale, 51-27, in the semifinals. Mission League champion Alemany beat Highland, 40-13, in the first round; Warren, 28-7, in the quarterfinals; and Dominguez, 35-24, in the semifinals.

OUTLOOK: Mira Costa is attempting to capture its third CIF title in its eighth trip to a final. Mira Costa claimed CIF titles in 1993 and 1997, but finished as runner-up in 1994, 1996, 2000, 2002 and 2008. Alemany is making its first final appearance in the school’s 53-year history. Mira Costa made its return to the CIF final behind the nonstop feats of Kyle Nunn. Not only did Nunn have a 50-yard touchdown catch last week, he had his third straight game with two interceptions, giving him seven this season. Nunn has 1,088 yards and 14 touchdowns on 46 catches. Nunn also has three punt returns for touchdowns. Quarterback Kyle Demarco has been a steady force, throwing for 1,741 yards, 17 touchdowns and four interceptions in addition to grinding out 516 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground. Running back Morgan Reece has been playing in pain since sustaining a leg injury in the third game of the season, but has managed 933 yards and nine touchdowns on 133 carries. J.R. Tavai has been a defensive standout with seven sacks and too many jarring hits to count. Kicker Alex Norocea drilled a 45-yard field goal last week and broke Kevin Lovell’s school record for single-season points with 82. Alemany running back Malcolm Marable has been a leader with 795 yards and 14 touchdowns on 149 carries in the regular season. Quarterback Vernon Adams is one to watch with 1,768 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions during the regular season.

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